Environmental Pollution And Its Effects on Health and Nature

Plastic Pollution: Environmental Health Of Workers Affected By Pollutant

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 09:03:00 +0000

A new study in environmental science has revealed that workers in the industrial sector who use Bisphenol A or BPA in their manufacturing process may likely have up to 70 times the amount of this environmental pollutant in their bodies when compared to the average individual. This environmental pollution from BPA has impacted negatively on reproduction and fertility. Studies even show that industrial BPA pollution in some worker were as much as a 1000 times higher than general household BPA exposure.

The study which is the first to look into the exposure to BPA in the manufacturing industry discovered that most workers had high levels of the plastic pollutant which has been shown to affect environmental health by disrupting hormonal activities in the body just after a few days of exposure. It has been suggested by environmental health and safety experts that this industrial level exposure to BPA may have a potentially fatal effect on reproductive health and fertility.

Everyone has some level of BPA in them. This is because this environmental pollutant is found in food packaging and this is how it gets into our diet. But studies have shown that BPA exposure from diet may not be enough to cause endocrine malfunction when compared to skin absorption, as in workers exposed to BPA.

Top researchers in environmental science and health believe that when manufacturing workers are covered with BPA, this environmental pollutant is absorbed through the skin into the body. She believes this account for the enormous level of exposure of BPA in factory workers when compared to the general public.

The study, which took place between 2013 and 2014, sampled urine from 77 workers who have worked for two consecutive days, from six different companies that make BPA, BPA-resins, or BPA-filled wax. It was discovered that the BPA levels in urine samples were 70 times higher than the average US adult, as published by the Annals of Work Exposures and Health. It was even reported that one worker’s BPA levels spiked up to 18,900 micrograms per gram of in his urine sample at the end of the shift of the second day of work. The median level of BPA in the general public is a little less than 2 micrograms per gram.

The bizarre truth is that there is no workplace exposure limit for BPA (even in the US) unlike other known environmental pollutants, so there is no way to make workers in the BPA production industry aware of the risk of high levels of the chemical. The situation is not helped either by the industry operators who have always argued that the body passes out BPA within a day making exposure less effective. But several studies in environmental pollution from BPA have continually dispelled such argument by showing high concentrations of this carcinogen in the body after just 2 days of workplace exposure.

This unusual spike in BPA levels in factory workers has been associated with reduction in reproductive hormone levels and semen quality. This could lead to sexual dysfunction.

Air Pollution: Environmental Pollutant Linked To Mental Diseases

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 10:13:00 +0000

Air pollution has become a major global health challenge. Studies have placed deaths resulting from air pollution above that caused by malaria and HIV/AIDS put together. Although air pollutants have been linked with lung and heart diseases, there are new evidences that air pollution may be associated with degenerative brain diseases like cognitive disorder, mental illness and Alzheimer's disease.

The effects of air pollution on the blood vessel have been well documented over the years. It is common knowledge that high level of environmental exposure to air pollutants is linked with increased risk of strokes and heart attacks. However, a recent study in environmental science has revealed how toxic pollutants in the air can permanently affect blood vessels in the brain which could lead to serious neural malfunction. This was highlighted in an experiment with dogs, where it was discovered that particles air pollution is shown to cause CNS damage by altering the blood-brain barrier. The resultant effect is the degeneration of neurons in the cerebral cortex and damaging of cells in the white matter, among others. These changes to the brain structure, over a long period of time, are seen as the cause of certain mental disorders and ailments.

According to recent environmental pollution research studies, toxic nanoparticles have been implicated in the link between air pollution and mental disorders and diseases. These air pollutants have been found in large quantities in the brain. The discovery of these nanoparticles from air pollution has raised a lot concern among environmental health specialist because these particles may be associated with Alzheimer's disease.

One significant environmental pollutant that has been implicated in the link between air pollution and the brain disease is magnetite, an iron oxide. A report published by the National Academy of Sciences found a large amount of this chemical when it examined brain tissue from 37 people, between the ages of 3 and 92, from two countries. Environmental science researchers where amazed when they found millions of magnetite particles per gram of freeze-dried brain tissue. Magnetite as a toxic chemical is potentially significant in the build to Alzheimer's disease because it may create free radicals which lead to oxidative cell damage. This feature happens to be the pattern of Alzheimer's disease.

Although magnetites are formed in the human brain as small, crystalline shapes, environmental science studies have found out that magnetite from air pollution appears to be large and spherical. This extraordinary abnormal accumulation of magnetite in the brain is seen as a key feature which environmental health researchers believe may be the link to Alzheimer's disease.

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This distinctively large, spherical nano-sized magnetite is formed as molten droplets of materials from combustion sources. This includes industrial processes, car exhausts, power stations and fuel burning activities. According to reports, these large spherical magnetites are so abundant in the brain that for every crystal shape magnetite, there are about a 100 air pollutant magnetite. A study of a roadside air in Lancaster showed 200 million magnetite particles per cubic metre.

While most environmental science researchers believe most of these air pollutants (magnetite) in brain samples are as a result of air pollution, their link to Alzheimer's disease remain speculative as more research studies need to be carried out to answer certain questions in areas such as regional variations within the brain, area of exposure and the possibility of lab contamination. Although there has no link between these magnetite and Alzheimer's disease, it is important to note that magnetite has been found in high concentrations in brain tissues of Alzheimer's disease.

Alzheimer's disease has been associated with air pollution. Several environmental and medical studies which show brain damage relating to Alzheimer's disease have been seen in children and young adults who have had environmental exposure to air pollutants. Unsurprisingly, dementia in older men and women has also been associated with air pollution.

The mode of entry for these air pollutants is specific. They do not need to cross the brain-blood barrier. They can directly enter into the brain through the olfactory region through the nose (an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease is the apparent loss of the sense of smell). Once in the brain, the can spread to areas such as hippocampus and cerebral cortex (areas of the brain affected in Alzheimer's disease).

These evidences only serve as a means to point us toward making policies that would considerably reduce the burden of these environmental pollutants on human health. More importantly, practical ways should be encouraged by each one of us to lower our risk to these mental disorders. This should include eating a healthy diet, regularly exercising and avoid smoking.

Environmental Research Shows That Omega-3 Oils May Reduce The Effects Of Air Pollution| The Guardian

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Sat, 11 Mar 2017 16:43:00 +0000

Omega-3 oils could tackle damage caused by air pollution, research shows | Environment | The Guardian:
"Supplements of healthy fats could be an immediate way of cutting the harm caused to billions around the world by air pollution, according to emerging research.

However, the research also shows air pollution particles can penetrate through the lungs of lab animals into many major organs, including the brain and testicles. This raises the possibility that the health damage caused by toxic air is even greater than currently known.

The new research on mice showed that omega-3 fatty acids (OFAs), found in flax, hemp and fish oils, can both prevent and treat the inflammation and oxidative stress caused by air pollution, with the OFAs delivering a 30-50% reduction in harm."

Air pollution around the world is rising at an alarming rate, according to the World Health Organization, with virtually all cities in poorer nations blighted by unhealthy air andmore than half of those in richer countries also suffering.

Low air quality has long been linked to lung and heart disease and strokes, but scientists are now uncovering links to brain problems such as dementia, mental illness and reduced intelligence, as well as diabetes, kidney disease and premature births.

Dr Jing Kang, at Massachusetts General Hospital, part of Harvard Medical School in the US, who led the research said: “These pathological changes are very important because they are the fundamental mechanisms for the common chronic diseases we have today.

“I can anticipate the same things [that happen in mice] would happen in humans, because many other inflammatory diseases in humans can be treated with OFAs. We feel very confident OFAs can do something very good.”

“I would definitely recommend taking OFAs to counter air pollution problems,” he said. “OFAs are well known to have many other healthy benefits and the key thing is they are not like a drug, but a nutrient with so many benefits.”

Kang said two to four grammes per day would be the equivalent dose in humans to that given to the mice. A small human trial in 2012 also indicated OFAs offered protection against the adverse effects of air pollution and the US Environmental Protection Agency has now begun a larger trial. There is also supporting evidence from work on human cells in the lab.

Two to four grammes of OFAs would be roughly equivalent to two 85g portions a day of salmon or herring, but the NHS recommends no more than one such portion a day and significantly less for children and pregnant women due to the risks of mercury and other pollutants in fish. Flax oil is about 50% OFA and OFA capsules are also widely available but the NHS says people should get medical advice before taking them.

Dr Richard Russell, a consultant respiratory physician in the NHS and medical adviser to the British Lung Foundation (BLF), said the new research from Kang’s team is “a thorough piece of work and the science is good”. But he added: “The findings need to be interpreted with some caution, given that responses in mice are quite different to humans.” He also noted the level of air pollution the mice were exposed to was high.

Nonetheless, Russell said: “There is an increasing amount of evidence showing that these fatty acids do have significant anti-inflammatory effects. Can they be recommended as a healthy thing to be supplementing the diet of us all? Yes, probably. They do not do harm and may well do good.”

Cutting air pollution at source is the ultimate solution to the problem, said Kang: “Pollution is a very critical issue for human health, but we cannot change the environment right away.” His team concluded that OFAs present “an immediate, practical solution for reducing the disease burden of air pollution”.

In September, a new inhaler that could protect the lungs was revealed, and the BLF recommends avoiding hotspots such as busy road junctions when pollution levels are high and reducing strenuous outdoor exercise.

In the experiments, Kang’s team exposed the mice to fluorescent particles of similar size to the tiny specks that form dangerous PM2.5 air pollution. This made it easier to track the progress of the particles through the bodies of the mice.

“Fine fluorescent particles were observed not only in the lungs but also in other organs, including the brain, liver, kidneys, spleen, and testes,” the researchers reported. “These results demonstrate that fine particles can penetrate the [lung] barrier and travel to other organs, potentially inducing systemic illnesses.”

The discovery of particles in the testes “is a concern for fertility and reproduction”, said Kang. Further research is needed to investigate whether this also occurs in men and the risk posed, but he said: “At least we know the particles can harbour in that type of tissue.”

Previous work in rats has found that nanoparticles are able to pass through the lungs into internal organs, but the particles used in Kang’s work are about 200 times larger. The discovery of “abundant” toxic nanoparticles from air pollution in human brains was revealed in September.

How much omega-3 fatty acids could protect against air pollution?

The research is at an early stage but the doctor leading the latest study, conducted in mice, said 2-4g of omega-3 fatty acids (O3FAs) would be the equivalent human dose. A small human trial found benefits from 3g of fish oil per day, though only some of which will be O3FAs.

Does this mean we should eat fish every day?

Two portions (85g) a day of salmon or herring would give roughly 3g of O3FAs a day, but the NHS recommends not more than one such portion a day and just three a week for pregnant women due to the risks of mercury and other pollutants in fish.

How else can you consume these fats?

Both flax and hemp seed oils are rich in O3FAs, with the former containing about 50%. Supplement capsules of O3FAs are also available and, while the fats are widely thought to the beneficial to health, the NHS says people should get medical advice before taking supplements.

Is food a better way to consume O3FAs than supplements?

A balanced and healthy diet is the best way to get the nutrients the body needs and there is some evidence that supplements do not provide the same benefits as O3FAs obtained from food.

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Cancer 'hot spots' in Florida may be associated with hazardous waste sites-ScienceDaily

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Wed, 08 Mar 2017 08:20:00 +0000

Cancer 'hot spots' in Florida may be associated with hazardous waste sites: Researchers find 'mild association' between cancer rates, Superfund sites -- ScienceDaily: "
"We reviewed adult cancer rates in Florida from 1986 to 2010," said Emily Leary, Ph.D., assistant professor at the MU School of Medicine and co-author of the study. "Our goal was to determine if there were differences or associations regarding cancer incidence in counties that contain Superfund sites compared to counties that do not. We found the rate of cancer incidence increased by more than 6 percent in counties with Superfund sites."

Florida is home to 77 sites that currently are or have been classified as Superfund sites by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Using cancer incidence data collected by the Florida Department of Health, the researchers looked for cancer clusters, or "hot spots," of cases that were higher than normal. Because pediatric cancers often are genetic and not attributed to environmental factors, only adult cancers were included in the study. The researchers did not distinguish between different types of cancer.

"The findings show spatial differences -- as well as gender differences -- across Florida in adult cancer incidents," Leary said. "This work is novel because it is another piece of evidence to support an environmental cause of cancer. While it would be premature to say these differences are attributed to Superfund sites, there does appear to be an association. More research is needed to determine what this relationship is and why it exists, but identifying that a difference exists is a necessary first step."

"Our results can help public health agencies adjust policies and dedicate more efforts to areas with cancer hot spots," said Alexander Kirpich, Ph.D., postdoctoral associate at the University of Florida and co-author of the study. "These results support the link between toxic environmental waste and adverse health outcomes, but more efforts are needed to better understand this link and what it means for residents in these counties."

The study, "Superfund Locations and Potential Associations with Cancer Incidence in Florida," recently was published online in Statistics and Public Policy. Research reported in this publication was supported by the University of Florida and the University of Missouri School of Medicine. The researchers have no conflicts of interest to declare related to this study. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the funding agency.

Story Source:

Materials provided by University of Missouri-Columbia. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference:

Alexander Kirpich, Emily Leary. Superfund Locations and Potential Associations with Cancer Incidence in Florida. Statistics and Public Policy, 2016; 4 (1): 1 DOI: 10.1080/2330443X.2016.1267599"

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Environmental Light Pollution Increases Risk Of Breast And Prostate Cancers

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 15:48:00 +0000

Technology is only good when it is properly used in a way that it does not ignite an environmental health issue. The use of modern, super-lit technological equipment is great but when it threatens our environmental health, it calls for concerned action to limit its effect on the environment. In both the industrialized and developing countries, it is becoming very difficult to avoid light pollution even if we knew about the harmful effects of the environmental exposure to night light. This unconcerned acceptance to the impression that, it is after all 'only light', may be the reason for the increased risk to breast cancer, in women, and prostate cancer in men, in our industrialized society.

There is a growing concern among environmental pollution specialists about the health effects of the long term decrease in melatonin, a naturally occurring hormone which can only be produced at night or in the dark, in the human body. This hormones is chiefly responsible for regulating sleep and wake cycles. Although quite a few other factors may be responsible for blocking the production of melatonin by the pineal gland in the brain, one of them being old age, light pollution at night has been implicated in many environmental pollution studies.

Light pollution has been identified as as a serious environmental health issue. This has even gained awareness around the world, leading International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a branch of the World Health Organization (WHO) to classify light pollution as a high grade cancer risk among night shift workers. Environmental pollution specialists have discovered that long exposures to bright night lights tend to decreases the human body's ability to produce melatonin and sadly enough, this form of environmental pollution has been linked to high incidences of breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men, especially in people in night shift jobs who are exposed to bright lights. This environmental pollution issue calls for great concern, because of the facts at hand, especially as it has to do with breast cancer. Data on cancer shows that after skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the US, and it is the second leading cause of cancer death in women, after lung cancer.

A quick explanation of this work is necessary. Exposure to bright night light hinders melatonin production by specialized eye nerve cells (primitive ganglion eye cells) in the photosensitive retina. These nerve cells have high sensitivity to blue wavelength. In the instances of night light pollution, these eye nerve cells are triggered to produce blue light (similar to daytime sky light) which is sent to our brain's Supra Chiasmatic Nuclei or SCN, a group of brain cells that control our 'biological clocks'. When this happens, the SCN turns of the pineal gland, a small gland located in the brain, which also turns of melatonin production. When it is dark or there is little or no light, the eye nerve cells do not produce blue light and SCN does not stop melatonin production. Even at weak amounts of night light pollution, melatonin production is suppressed by the pineal gland. Without the health benefits of melatonin, the activities of other hormonal glands will go unchecked and this may lead to increased risk of cancer.

A group of researchers lead by Dr. Fuad Faresand Adina Yokler, Orna Harel and Hagit Schwimmer carried out a study to identify the link between light pollution, decreased melatonin production and increased breast and prostate cancer risk on four groups of lab mice injected with cancerous cells and exposed to different duration of light and darkness, and treated with melatonin. Their results showed:

1. A link between light pollution and cancer

2. The suppression of melatonin production increased tumor development

3. Melatonin suppression is associated with to bright night light.

Melatonin, according to research studies, when released in to the body system can both suppress cancer growth and cause death of cancer cells. It also controls the activities of other hormone-producing glands like the ovaries. It suppresses the activities of estrogen, progesterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). These hormones are know to cause rapid breast cell growth which may cause error in genetic coding, leading to breast cancer.

Free radicals account for about 70% of biological damage to DNA proteins and cellular membranes, leading to production of cancer cells. While most antioxidants can clean up these free radicals, they do not permanently eradicate them as these free radicals can be released into the body, recaptured and again, causing more damage. Melatonin oxidizes and permanently breaks apart these radicals, making sure they are not released into the body again. A single melatonin molecule has been proven to consume up to 10 free radical molecule species.

Pollution in the Huai River and the cancer village of Huangmengying in Henan, China | EJAtlas

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Sat, 04 Mar 2017 16:20:00 +0000

Pollution in the Huai River and the cancer village of Huangmengying in Henan, China | EJAtlas:
"In 2013, researchers from China Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CCDCP) confirmed a correlation between heavily polluted water and higher incidences of cancer in the Huai River watershed in eastern China. The Huai River is one of China’s major river systems with coverage of 274,700 square kilometres in Henan, Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces, watering much of China’s commercial grain crops. During the 1980s, polluting factories such as food processing factories, paper mills and tanneries were set up along the riverbank of both the Huai River and its tributaries, causing severe pollution to the nearby villages. Since 1990s, a large number of cancer villages have been found in the Huai River watershed, among which, the village of Huangengying is one of the first widely known cases.

Over the 15 years from 1990 to 2004, there were 105 deaths from cancer in Huangmengying, a village with a population of 2470 in Shenqiu County, Henan Province, accounting for 51.5% of the total deaths. Besides, villagers suffered high incidences of other diseases such as blindness, deafness and cardiopathy, which were suspected to be a consequence of local water pollution.

Huangmengying locates within the watershed of the Shaying River, the largest branch of the Huai River. As factories mushroomed along the riverbanks in the 1980s, the pollution of the Shaying River has become a nightmare for local residents. Receiving most of the careless sewage discharges from the factories in its upper reach, the water becomes black and stench, fish turning belly-up, trees along the riverbank withering and dying out. Serving as the source of water supply for the village, the Shaying River flows into the 5 ditches and 16 ponds in Huangmengying. As noted by Wang, villagers living around the ditches and ponds seem to be highly vulnerable to colonitis, rectum cancer or esophageal cancer.

However, Huangmengying is not uncommon in the Huai River watershed. According to Huo Daishan, the founder of the environmental NGO Huai River Guardians (Huaihe Weishi), more than twenty villages along the Shaying River experienced a sharp rise in cancer cases from 1994 to 2005.

In 1994, the state council launched a cleaning campaign, aiming to enforce all the enterprises alongside the river to meet the waste discharge requirements by 1997. A number of small factories were shut down and most polluted enterprises completed upgrading their sewage treatment facilities. Nevertheless, the pollution continues after the campaign. Huo pointed out that the state-launched campaign failed to eliminate the root cause of water pollution that governments were reluctant to impose discharge limitations on enterprises that greatly contribute to local economy.

Huo started his investigation into cancer villages along the Huai River in 1999. He photographed the river’s pollution in over twenty cities across Henan Province with over fifteen thousand images, and held seventy exhibitions in cities, universities and villages. In 2000, he founded “ The Huai River Guardians”, an NGO aimed at recruiting and training volunteers to help with protecting the river. Huo actively championed the cause of the river and its people in media and conferences, engaging in research and documentation and disclosing the illegal activities of local officials and factory owners. With the effort of Huo, China Central Television (CCTV) carried out an investigative report on the cancer village of Huangmenying in the June of 2004, followed by wide media coverage on the cancer villages along the Huai River watershed. In the summer of 2005, the research team of CCDCP led by Professor Yang Gonghuan was dispatched to investigate the potential link between pollution and cancer villages in the Huai River watershed. Besides, a series of activities have been taken by the government to improve the quality of drinking water and ensure the water supply in heavily polluted areas. At Huangmengying, the local government funded to dig a 400-meter deep well, expecting to provide clean water to villagers.

Despite some improvement in the condition of the Huai River, the problems caused by the pollution are far from resolved. The Huai River watershed is still suffering pollution. Although researchers had confirmed the correlation, the causal link between specific diseases and corresponding pollutants could hardly be proved in the court. As noted by Professor Yang, the impact of water pollution on health could be delayed, thus, high rates of cancer in the heavily polluted areas of the Huai River watershed can still be expected in the next ten years."

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Health Effects of Environmental Pollution Influenced By Nutrition

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Tue, 28 Feb 2017 09:26:00 +0000

Environmental pollution which leads to the chronic exposure from toxic chemicals seem to be an increasing global challenge that is altering the quality of health of many people. There is an alarming number of chemicals present in the environment today which contribute to various environmental health problems, with over 80,000 chemicals registered for commercial use in the United State alone. Monitoring of the the toxicity of these chemicals is a big challenge for developing countries even as

the developed countries are making tough policies to curb the negative effects of the environmental pollution from these chemicals. For countries who do not have the techniques for monitoring pollution from these chemicals and its effect on health, studies have shown that it is possible that certain nutrients and indeed, nutritional status are linked to the change in susceptibility to these environmental pollutants.

Although not fully investigated, there appears to be a connection between nutritional status, nutrients and environmental toxins especially with heavy metals. Scientific evidence have exposed the interconnection between these three. The flip side of this study lies in the fact that individuals are not exposed to pollution from a single source and that the impact of multiple exposure on human health cannot be fully ascertained. This is however, aimed at encouraging the design of quality studies on nutritional interventions for populations exposed to environmental chemicals by nutritionists. As a growing field, the intersection between nutritional science and toxicology would benefit from the expertise of nutritionists.

This article looks at the ways environmental toxins interact with nutrition. We look at examples of how food may be a medium through which the human body is exposed to toxic chemicals to increase pollution burden. We also look at the interaction between the absorbed toxins and the body's nutritional status in respect of how it may affect health status by altering nutrient absorption. Also, once inside the body, nutrients and nutrient metabolism may also interact with the toxins to create a specific health outcome. Factors, such as gender and age are also considered because they affect both nutritional status (child-feeding practices) and toxins exposure (mode of feeding).

Food as a source of chronic exposure to harmful environmental pollutants

Toxic chemicals from the environment can be introduced into food while it is being grown, as in the case of use of dangerous pesticides on agricultural products. Also the activities during processing and storage of food products may also influence the increase hazardous chemical content of food. A typical example is the use of coal-burning stoves for drying or smoking food in rural comunities. This activity is among the top in the sources of arsenic pollution in food. Another typical example of food pollution from environmental sources is the exposure of fishes and seafood to methylmecury where inorganic mercury undergoes methylation in water and accumulates in the fatty tissues of food.

Prospective studies into early postnatal exposure from seafood in New Zealand has been linked to cognitive deficits in children, including attention and perceptual deficits, and general cognitive deficits. Although this findings have been are termed controversial based on the lack of enough evidence in other popular fish-eating regions, there is increased concern in pregnant woman about the potential harm from prenatal exposure to methlymercury.

Already, current recommendations in the United States call for reduced consumption of seafood during pregnancy. But such recommendations may be difficult to implement in developing, low-income, fish-consuming countries where a change in diet may affect both economic status and create a conflict for individuals who view fish and seafood as a rich source of fatty acids which is necessary for brain and heart development.

Nutritional deficiency increases effects of environmental pollution in the body

Most cases associated with lead exposure has been linked with nutritional deficiencies, just as cognitive disorders in children exposed to lead pollution (even at levels previously thought to be harmless) is common among disadvantaged populations. This may be primarily due to the interaction between Lead pollution and micro nutrients at the point of intestinal absorption, brain neurochemistry and cognitive functions. Research evidences show that Iron and Lead share a common intestinal transporter (divalent metal transporter 1) and this has led to the belief that iron deficiency increases the rate of Lead absorption in the intestine.

Furthermore, research studies have shown that adult women and children with higher amounts of dietary calcium intakes have lower concentrations of Lead in the blood. Also, it has been observed that the transfer of Lead through the placenta to the fetus was lower in women who take diets rich in Iron and have high hemoglobin levels.

Although primary prevention to Lead exposure may be feasible, this may not be the case when Lead pollution sources are either unknown or not under the control of environmental pollution observers. In this case, perhaps, only nutrients supplements may minimize the harmful role Lead plays in the health of children. This thought was amplified in a study which examined the potency of Zinc, Iron and Calcium supplements in reducing the levels of Lead concentration in blood in children. Results showed that Iron and Calcium had positive impact. However, some studies have cautioned against relying on Calcium as the sole treatment for Lead toxicity.

In adults, a study by Dr. Ettinger of the Harvard School of Public Health, presented evidence on Calcium supplementation as a means of reducing bone reabsorption and Lead concentrations in blood of pregnant and lactating women, as well as the impact of supplemental Calcium on breast milk Lead concentrations. This overview was based on a series of ongoing cohort and intervention studies conducted in Mexico City. The Mexican interventions constitute the bulk of existing data on the efficacy of Calcium supplementation in reducing maternal Lead burdens.

Environmental pollution from Cadmium (which is associated with kidney toxicity) has been recently discovered to decrease bone density and increase fractures even at low levels of environmental exposure, especially in women. Tobacco smoke is a major source of cadmium-related health defects but some food sources have exhibited relatively high levels of cadmium pollution. They include rice, legumes, cereals, shellfish and leafy vegetables. Cadmium mimics the absorption pattern of Iron, Calcium and Zinc inthe intestine. Studies have revealed that low Iron intake increases the absorption of Cadmium in the body. There is some speculation that the absorption of Cadmium may increase at very early stages of Iron deficiency, even before increased iron absorption is observed.

Nutrient deficiency and environmental toxins have similar outcomes

Arsenic exposure has been identified in drinking water is countries such as India, Bangladesh, Mexico, Argentina and Vietnam with hundreds of millions of people likely exposed to arsenic pollution at levels above 100g/L (well above the WHO drinking water standard). Other environmental sources of arsenic pollution include coal-burning stoves and contaminated food. Arsenic pollution has been linked with increased lung and bladder cancer even at moderate exposure. It may also be linked with diabetes mellitus and hypertension in individuals with high exposures. In children, arsenic exposure is associated with low IQ scores and memory loss, not to mention fetal and infant death. Interactions between arsenic and nutrient status and metabolism on health outcomes have been documented. One study links nutrients, one-carbon metabolism and arsenic toxicity in Bangladeshi women.

Malnourished women of reproductive age and young children, may be more susceptible to adverse health effects of environmental chemical exposures. The very nature of children's growth and development also makes them vulnerable to both nutritional deficiencies and exposures from toxic chemicals. A recent study analysed neurodevelopmental disorders caused by environmental chemical exposures as a modern “silent pandemic” in children. This places a large portion of the World's children, especially in developing countries, at risk of not reaching their optimal health and development.

Women of reproductive age are also susceptible to nutritional deficiencies, especially during pregnancy when maternal and fetal growth requires high nutrient demand. Nutritional deficiency may create a situation where the mother may become a source of chemical exposure to the fetus or infant via placenta exchange or breast feeding. Environmental exposures in women of reproductive age are especially precarious because women may become sources of exposure to their fetuses and infants through placental exchange and breast milk.

The fraction of diseases caused by environmental exposures may be small, but the above considerations relates to the importance of toxic chemicals in affecting health. It should be noted that small risk factors may contribute to a disease when a large part of the population is exposed to harmful chemicals. Also these environmental toxins are present at almost every developmental stage in our lives so they can accumulate to cause lifetime illness. Third, if chemical exposures interact with poor nutrition, the result may be high costs to health and well-being of poor individuals and communities who are least able to cope with those costs. Better understanding of the interactions between nutrition and environmental exposures is needed to guide action from governments and individuals concerning the effects of nutritional interventions as an approach to preventing or reducing toxicity.

Air Pollution Causes Lung Cancer and Other Related Deaths - Heal Naturally

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 15:29:00 +0000

Air Pollution Causes Non-Lung Cancer Deaths - Heal Naturally:
Medical researchers have known for awhile that air pollution can cause conditions related to the lungs. These include asthma, allergies and even lung cancer.

But few imagined that breathing air polluted air might cause other types of cancer. Yes, we are talking breast cancer, liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, intestinal cancers and others.

PM2.5 pollution causes cancer deaths
Researchers from the UK’s University of Birmingham and Taiwan’s University of Hong Kong have determined that sustained exposure to air pollution causes deaths from various cancers.

The researchers followed 66,820 people from Hong Kong who were 65 years old or older from 1998-2001 through to 2011. They monitored the people for deaths due to any cancer.

The researchers calculated the subjects’ local air pollution through the period. This was based upon the recorded air pollution levels of monitoring stations near their homes. They also utilized satellite data.

Because Hong Kong has different air pollution levels in different parts of the city, it is an ideal place to study the effects of air pollution. Some districts of the city are on the shore, others are up high. And still others are within the industrial parts of the city.

The scientists specifically calculated the annual exposure of air pollution of PM2.5 particulates in micrograms per cubic meter for each person. PM2.5 particulates have an average diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less. PM2.5 has been accepted by many scientists as the most dangerous form of air pollution.

The researchers also eliminated the effects of other possible cancer causes, such as smoking and related conditions. They also eliminated deaths for the first three years of the study.

The researchers found that for each increase of 10 micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 air pollution on an annual basis increased deaths from breast cancer by 80 percent.

Each 10 ug/m3 of annual PM2.5 exposure increased deaths from upper digestive tract cancers (e.g. stomach cancers) by 42 percent. And for every 10 ug/m3 in PM2.5 increased deaths from cancer of other digestive organs – such as the gall bladder, bile ducts and pancreas – by 35 percent.

Interestingly, deaths from lung cancer increased 36 percent from PM2.5 exposure. Less than breast cancer and stomach cancers.

Deaths from all cancers increased by 22 percent for every 10 ug/m3 of PM2.5 annual exposure.

Note that the results are in graduated exposure levels. This means, for example, that a person with, say, 50 ug/m3 of PM2.5 annual exposure will have a 110 percent increased risk of any cancer, and a 400 percent increased risk of breast cancer.

Senior researcher Dr. Dr Thuan Quoc Thach from the University of Hong Kong commented on the surprising results, with other cancer deaths outside of the lungs connected with air pollution:

“Long-term exposure to particulate matter has been associated with mortality mainly from cardiopulmonary causes and lung cancer, but there have been few studies showing an association with mortality from other cancers. We suspected that these particulates could have an equivalent effect on cancers elsewhere in the body.”

Annual concentrations of PM2.5 exposure around the world
The 50 ug/m3 number I used above might sound pretty aggressive. But it’s really not that unreasonable. Yes, it is high in comparison to some cities around the world. But it is lower than some cities too.

The World Health Organization has monitored annual exposure levels around the world for several years. The world’s average, according to their calculations, was 71 ug/m3 per year. This ranged from 26 to 208 ug/m3 around the world. By region, Africa averaged 78 per year, while Europe averaged 49 per year.

Now consider a sampling of the World Bank’s average PM2.5 annual exposure per country around the world for 2013 (in ug/m3)

Afghanistan – 22
Argentina – 9
Bahrain – 44
Bangladesh – 48
Brazil – 16
Chad – 31
Egypt – 36
Germany – 15
India – 47
Israel – 26
Ireland – 8
Mali – 36
Mauritania – 70
Mexico – 12
Saudi Arabia – 54
Seychelles – 7
UK – 11
US – 11
Yeman – 36

I cherry-picked from this list, but you can see all of it here. Note that this is the average for the entire country. That means an average between the most polluted cities and the least polluted rural areas.

PM2.5 levels linked to deaths in other research
Analyses by the City of New York estimate that PM2.5 levels in the City caused more than 2,000 deaths per year between 2009 and 2011. It is also related to 4,800 emergency room visits and 1,500 hospitalizations.

A study from Harvard measured the long-term effects of PM2.5 pollution on death. They found that for every increase in 2 ug/m3 PM2.5 levels, there was a 3 percent increase in deaths from all causes. That is for younger and older people.

In areas of lower income and lower home value, the researchers found death increases were higher.

In India and China, hundreds of thousands of deaths per year are attributed to PM2.5 levels.

In 2006, Harvard researchers studied deaths linked to PM2.5 levels among six U.S. cities. They discovered that every 10 ug/m3 increase in PM2.5 increases the risk of death from heart disease by 28 percent, and deaths from all causes by 16 percent.

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India’s Air Pollution Rivals China’s as World’s Deadliest - The New York Times

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Fri, 17 Feb 2017 09:15:00 +0000

India’s Air Pollution Rivals China’s as World’s Deadliest - The New York Times:

NEW DELHI — India’s rapidly worsening air pollution is causing about 1.1 million people to die prematurely each year and is now surpassing China’s as the deadliest in the world, a new study of global air pollution shows.

The number of premature deaths in China caused by dangerous air particles, known as PM2.5, has stabilized globally in recent years but has risen sharply in India, according to the report, issued jointly on Tuesday by the Health Effects Institute, a Boston research institute focused on the health impacts of air pollution, and the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, a population health research center in Seattle.

India has registered an alarming increase of nearly 50 percent in premature deaths from particulate matter between 1990 and 2015, the report says.

“You can almost think of this as the perfect storm for India,” said Michael Brauer, a professor of environment and health relationships at the University of British Columbia and an author of the study, in a telephone interview. He cited the confluence of rapid industrialization, population growth and an aging populace in India that is more susceptible to air pollution.

"Pollution levels are worsening in India as it tries to industrialize, but “the idea that policy making should be led by government is lacking,” Bhargav Krishna, manager for environmental health at the Public Health Foundation of India, a health policy research center in New Delhi, said in an interview.

As air pollution worsened in parts of the world, including South Asia, it improved in the United States and Europe, the report said, crediting policies to curb emissions, among other things. The report’s website that provides country-by-country data on pollution levels and the health and mortality effects.

Environmental regulations in the United States and actions by the European Commission have led to substantial progress in reducing fine particulate pollution since 1990, the report said. The United States has experienced a reduction of about 27 percent in the average annual exposure to fine particulate matter, with smaller declines in Europe. Yet, some 88,000 Americans and 258,000 Europeans still face increased risks of premature death because of particulate levels today, the report said.

A fraction of the width of a human hair, these particles can be released from vehicles, particularly those with diesel engines, and by industry, as well as from natural sources like dust. They enter the bloodstream through the lungs, worsening cardiac disease and increasing the risk of stroke and heart failure, in addition to causing severe respiratory problems, like asthma and pneumonia.

The report offers good news globally, in some ways.

Although deaths caused by air pollution grew to 4.2 million in 2015 from 3.5 million in 1990, the rate of increase of about 20 percent was slower than the rate of the population rise during that time. That’s because of improved health care in many parts of the world, as well as public policy initiatives undertaken in the United States, Europe and other regions that reduced emissions from industrialization, the authors of the study said in telephone interviews.

China also offers an encouraging sign. Premature deaths from particulate matter each year have stabilized at around 1.1 million since 2005, the report said. Still, that is an increase of 17 percent since 1990, when it was a little more than 945,000.

The health effects of the ultrafine particles are still being studied and the full effects are only beginning to be understood, said Majid Ezzati, a global environmental health professor at the Imperial College, London.

“These studies are hard to do, and isolating the effects of air pollution is hard,” Dr. Ezzati said. “The numbers are still dynamic and nobody should claim an exact number of deaths is known.”

But if he were an Indian citizen, he said, “I’d say, ‘Let’s not sit there and do nothing about it. Let’s not be exposed to it today as more research is being done.

Although few studies of the health problems brought by air pollution are based in India, Dr. Ezzati said, “it’s hard to imagine air pollution that is bad for people in London is not bad for people in India.”

Neither India’s environment minister nor its environment secretary could be reached for comment Monday evening.

Robert O’Keefe, vice president at the Health Effects Institute, said China’s trajectory on deaths from air pollution had stabilized as a result of the country’s efforts to reduce air pollution.

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Wood Smoke: Environmental Pollution and Its Health Implications

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 16:00:00 +0000

It is wrong to assume that wood smoke is harmless. Smoke from wood stoves, fireplaces, burn fires and so on form a major part in air pollution problems. This is because wood smoke contains particles and gases that have the potential of causing serious health problems when they are breathed. These gases contain toxic chemicals that can irritate the respiratory track and may even cause cancer. In environments where wood is burned, they are bound to be higher levels of indoor smoke and more environmental pollutants in form of particles and gases. Also, smoke from wood stoves can seep into houses where wood stoves are not used.

What makes up wood smoke

Wood smoke contains a cocktail of solids, liquids and gases. These contain lots of air pollutants which can affect human health in ways similar to cigarette smoke, which may include severe respiratory diseases and cancer. One of these pollutants that is of most concern is fine particles. These are tiny bits of solids and liquids made of incomplete wood burning. These fine particles are inhaled deeply into the lungs when we breathe in air from wood smoke. Long term environmental exposure to wood smoke pollution may lead to toxic particles settling in the lungs which may lead to diseases. Most wood smoke particles implicated in most air pollution diseases are 2.5 µm or less in size – smaller in diameter than a human hair. Also known as PM2.5, these tiny particles are so small they are able to avoid the respiratory tract’s defenses to reach deepest areas of the lungs, the alveoli, where they enter the blood stream.

Residential wood burning, wood stove cooking and bush burning greatly increases the amount of fine particles in the air. Research studies show that fine particles, even at low levels, are harmful to human health just as many of the health effects caused by fine particles may be related to wood smoke.

Many organic chemicals in wood smoke contribute to environmental pollution that constitute serious health problems in the respiratory tract. Evidence exists that these organic compounds have also being shown to be transfered by these fine particles in wood smoke. Harmful organic chemicals carried by PM2.5 in wood smoke include: benzene, formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs).

Health Effects of wood smoke

Environmental pollution of PM2.5 from wood smoke has both short- and long-term effects.Short-term effects of wood smoke exposure includes eye, throat, sinuses, and lungs irritation, headaches, reduced lung function. In children, the effects could be severe. They include especially in lung inflammation or swelling, increased risk of lower respiratory diseases and more severe or frequent symptoms from existing lung diseases (such as asthma and pneumonia), and risk of heart attack and stroke. Long-term exposure to wood smoke can be chronic lung disease including bronchitis and emphysema, chemical and structural changes in lungs, and cancer.

Adults with normal health generally may have resistance to most effects of wood smoke although they may feel shortness of breath and other symptoms like irritated eyes, sore throats, phlegm, chest tightness, headaches, and allergy symptoms. Although anyone can have health effects from wood smoke, those most likely to be affected even at low levels are: infants and children, the elderly and adults with existing heart or lung conditions.

Children breathe more air in contrast to adults because of their developing lungs. This makes them more susceptible to the health implications from the environmental pollutants from wood smoke. Children who regularly breathe wood smoke are more likely to have shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, asthma, disrupted sleep, inflamed respiratory tracts, and pneumonia. A research study conducted by the University of Washington have found more symptoms of respiratory disease in Seattle preschool children who live in residential areas with high levels of wood smoke than in children living in areas with lower wood smoke levels.

Further environmental pollution studies have revealed that the exposure to wood burning stoves increases the risk of lower respiratorytract infections likebronchitis and pneumonia in young children. It is also believed that children with lower respiratory tract infections may develop chronic lung disease in later life.

Studies have also revealed that the lower the heart is able to respond to changes in activity levels when people breathe, the more they are prone air pollution. This concept has been proven to be true in young people and older adults. Also, adults with existing heart conditions, as well as smokers and ex-smokers, are more susceptible to the effects of wood smoke. Older adults are at greater risk from wood smoke if they have common chronic health problems, which can be worsened by exposure to fine particles.

Air pollution, health and cancer – a new report calls for action - Cancer Research UK

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Tue, 07 Feb 2017 20:49:00 +0000

Air pollution, health and cancer – a new report calls for action - Cancer Research UK - Science blog:
"How strong is the link with cancer?
Over the past decades evidence that air pollution is linked to a range of cancers has been mounting. In 2013, a group of international experts, working on behalf of the World Health Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), looked at the results of all of the research and concluded that air pollution causes cancer in humans – in particular, lung cancer.

But what do these experts mean by ‘air pollution’? The term is very broad, and covers a host of ‘nasties’ including miniscule particles, tiny fragments of metals and gases. But when it comes to cancer risk, research so far shows that tiny dust-like particles just millionths of a metre wide – so called ‘particulate matter’, or PM – are the main culprit. In particular, the smallest particles – less than 2.5 millionths of a metre across, known as PM2.5 – appear to be behind lung cancers caused by pollution. These are chiefly found in emissions from diesel engines – something IARC have also ruled causes cancer in humans (we discuss this in more detail here).

In fact, about eight in every 100 cases of lung cancer each year in the UK are attributable to PM2.5 air pollution exposure – very roughly, that equates to about 3,500 people. By comparison, in 2013 (the most recent year for which good data are available), there were around 45,000 lung cancer cases diagnosed overall).

But as today’s report discusses, there’s a lot we still need to know about air pollution and our health.

More than the sum of its parts?
The authors of the report are experts in their fields, and by looking at all of the evidence they’ve mapped out where some of the uncertainty lies.

Importantly, no-one knows exactly how these microscopic particles damage DNA inside cells and cause cancer. Rather than directly damaging the cells themselves, it’s possible they’re the fall guy for another culprit – the particles are so small they can travel deep into the lungs, carrying other harmful chemicals such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (which are known to cause cancer) into the airways. Or perhaps it’s a combination of both that sets cells on the road to cancer. The report has called for more research into this.

Another area that needs further investigation is in understanding about how the mix of different pollutants might interact to cause health problems. Most research so far has focused on measuring one specific pollutant and looking for health effects – which isn’t how people are exposed to air pollution in real life.

The report goes on to say that, because of limitations like this in the research, they could even be underestimating the true health effects of air pollution.

Looking ahead, the report looks at what would happen if we reduce air pollution levels. It estimates that reducing particulate matter pollution across Europe by about 20 per cent by 2050 would prevent an estimated 482,000 premature deaths from a range of diseases.

What next?
It’s important to keep these risks in perspective; most lung cancer cases are still caused by smoking. But as we work towards a tobacco-free UK it’s important to look at what else we can do to halt the rising rates of cancer.

“As other health hazards like smoking come under control, urban air pollution becomes more of a problem,” says Professor David Phillips, a Cancer Research UK-funded expert in carcinogenesis from King’s College London.

He points out that not all sources of pollution are the same. “Diesel exhaust, being much higher in fine particulates than petrol exhaust, is now one of the major sources of air pollution in cities.”

As one of the report’s authors, Professor Jonathan Griggs, told the BBC this morning, we can all play our part in reducing pollution by using the car less often. Walking or cycling have the advantage of helping people keep active too.

But we also need governments and local authorities to work together to develop a comprehensive strategy to reduce air pollution. Options such as a network of low-emission zones should be considered as part of a wider package of measures to cut air pollution. And getting this right, say the report’s authors, will reduce the strain on the NHS, leading to even more benefits.

“As NHS costs continue to escalate due to poor public health – asthma alone costs the NHS an estimated £1bn a year – it is essential that policy makers consider the effects of long-term exposure on our children and the public purse,” said Griggs.

In their report, which you can read here, the authors recommend 14 sensible steps that policy-makers and authorities should take to combat the ill health caused by air pollution. These range from better monitoring and analysis, better education, and developing new technologies to track global air quality trends – and of course, more research.

It’s important that they’re taken seriously."

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Air Pollution: Environmental Pollutant Linked To Neural Tube Defects

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Sat, 04 Feb 2017 10:31:00 +0000

Benzene is a colorless, flammable liquid with a sweet odor. It evaporates quickly when exposed to air. Benzene is formed from natural processes, such as volcanoes and forest fires, but most exposure to benzene results from human activities. The most important source of exposure to benzene is mainstream smoke from cigarettes, which accounts for about 50% of population burden of exposure. It is also used mainly as a starting material in making other chemicals, including plastics, lubricants, rubbers, dyes, detergents, drugs, and pesticides. In the past it was also commonly used as an industrial solvent (a substance that can dissolve or extract other substances) and as a gasoline additive, but these uses have been greatly reduced in recent decades. Environmental tobacco smoke or secondhand smoke is an important source, accounting for about 5% of total nationwide exposure.

Benzene is one of the environmental pollutants known to cause cancer in humans. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has classified benzene as a Group 1 carcinogen. This environmental pollutant is one of the few causes acute myeloid leukemia (acute non-lymphocytic leukemia). It has also been found that Individuals who have been treated for benzene poisoning have an increased risk of mortality from leukemia. Chronic environmental exposure to benzene has been reported to reduce the production of both red and white blood cells from bone marrow in humans which has been linked to aplastic anemia. Laboratory research has documented fetal toxicity of benzene in mice and rabbits following maternal exposure by inhalation causing a reduction in birth weight. Recent studies have tried to link air pollution from benzene exposure in mothers to neural tube defects in fetus.

Scientists while studying data from Texas Birth defects registry from 1999 to 2004, measured air pollution exposures using the US Environmental Protection Agency's model for air toxics. While estimating the annual concentration of benzene, the calculated each participant’s level of exposure based on their environment at the time of exposure. They identified 553 babies with neural tube defects-spina bifida and anencephaly. Although only interested in benzene, the also investigated the effects of other environmentally common air pollutants such as toluene and ethyl benzene.

The results of their study showed that maternal exposure to benzene pollution in the environment is linked to neural tube defects in their babies. It stated that the chances of a mother having a baby with spina bifida – one type of neural tube defect – was twice as much in women living in environments with the highest levels of benzene pollution (approximately 3 to 7 µg/m³) when compared to women living in areas of low exposure. The study further highlighted that the highest levels of benzene pollution was a thousand times lower than the federal workplace limits for benzene.

Research findings revealed that the link between exposure to benzene air pollution and neural tube defects was strongest for those in the highest exposure group, but there were also positive associations between benzene and spina bifida risk in other lesser levels of environmental exposure, when compared to the lowest benzene group. It is also important to note that their result was consistent when other important risk factors such as year of birth, maternal race, education, poverty level or number of children were considered. Also, they did not discover any significant link between neural tube defects and other air pollutants.

This study is one of many which provide evidence on the association between environmental exposure to air pollution and birth defects in babies. It is also the first to link outdoor exposure to benzene and neural tube defects. While it is yet to be fully certain how benzene causes neural tube defects, it has been suggested that benzene's ability to damage DNA material may play a critical role especially if exposures occur during a sensitive time of fetal development.

Although the population examined in this study was Texas, an area with high benzene emissions, it still limits this study as it is not known if results can be applied to other regions around the world. It is suggested that future studies should use air pollution data from multiple years and sources. Nevertheless, the findings may have a direct impact on regulation of benzene emissions particularly those from petrochemical industries, which emit high levels of benzene.

Environmental Studies Link Plastic Pollutant To Infertility

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Wed, 01 Feb 2017 14:29:00 +0000

One of the most challenging aspects of being a woman is having to cope with infertility. This is because being fertile, as a woman, not only satisfies the emotional desire a woman has for creating a life, but also a very deep physical and biological urge. It is very important for women to pay attention to their bodies in pursuing health and pregnancy, especially to scientists' warming over environmental exposure to toxic pollutants and chemicals. Fertility experts now believe that is better to avoid environmental pollution from toxic chemicals in our homes than to do sign up for body cleansing procedures. Where we live, the foods we eat, and the contact we make with various household products have unbelievable influence in our health and well-being.

For women with fertility issues, environmental health researchers have been able to create a link between the popular toxic pollutant, bisphenol-A or BPA and female infertility. In other words, the more exposure a woman has with BPA in plastic pollution, the greater she impairs her chances of having a baby. BPA is used to make plastic hard and shatter-proof. Sources of environmental pollution from BPA include canned foods, beverages, paper receipts and dental sealants.

There is strong evidence that BPA is both an ovarian and uterine toxicant. This has been show in multiple studies where high levels of BPA were found in women undergoing in vitro fertilization or IVF. This has translated to lesser successful pregnancies. More recently, a study of 239 women was conducted to show how the environmental pollution of BPA affects fertility in women. The result of this study showed that 17% of the women, with high level exposure to BPA, had a baby. This compared to 54% of women who had the lowest exposure to this environmental pollutant. Another research study of 174 women undergoing IVF in Boston, showed high concentrations of BPA in urine. This high level of this toxic chemical in urine has been linked to reduction in cells that form eggs in ovaries. Women with higher BPA levels had 24% fewer cells than than those with lower levels. Also pollution by BPA has been linked with reduced estrogen activities in women and embryo quality.

BPA functions by mimicking the hormone estrogen and also disrupts endocrine activities in the body which is crucial to brain function development of the immune system and of course, reproduction. Environmental health studies show that almost everyone has traces of this pollutant in their body. They believe that diet is the major source of exposure to BPA pollution since it can leach out of the linings in can foods. Further reaserch studies has revealed that BPA influences cell division in ovaries of animals and human alike, and alter menstrual cycles.

Even in the light of these evidences, the US FDA maintains that BPA leaching does not harm people. It has repeatedly declined several opportunities to comment about mounting evidences linking BPA pollution and infertility in women. It assumes that since BPA is rapidly removed from the body, leaving no time for it to cause health concerns. Also, the American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical manufacturers has said the current studies are not adequate enough to support any medical advice or decisions.

Researchers are not convinced with statements from the FDA and several fertility counselors have called for an understanding of the health effects of which pollution from BPA has on fertility. It is advocated the use of natural diets, cleansing products and cosmetics free from endocrine disrupting chemicals. They also advice that water should be drunk from glass cups or stainless steels.

Heavy Traffic And Air Pollution Linked To Dementia

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 08:31:00 +0000

A recent study in the Ontario environment has raised general health worries about the effect of air pollution and traffic. The study also found out that individuals who lived within 50 meters of a heavy traffic environment had a 7% higher risk of dementia when compared with individuals who lived more than 300 meters far from such environment.

Scientists surveyed records from more than 6.5 million Ontario inhabitants aged between 20-85 to examine the link between living near streets with heavy road activity and health issues such as dementia, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis.

The result of this research discovered 243,611 instances of dementia, 31,577 instances of Parkinson's disease, and 9,247 instances of multiple sclerosis within the Ontario environment between 2001 and 2012 when they mapped each individual’s closeness to major roadways, utilizing the postal code of their living arrangement. The discoveries show that living near major roads with heavy traffic increases the risk of dementia, however not Parkinson's disease or multiple sclerosis, two other major neurological health issue.

According to one of the lead researcher, Dr. Hong Chen, environmental and occupational health researcher at PHO and an adjunct scientist at ICES, Little is known in current studies about how to lessen the danger of dementia. The discoveries made in this study demonstrate the nearer you are to environments with heavy everyday traffic, the greater the danger of developing dementia. With our increasing exposure to traffic activities and the more inclination for individuals to live in urban areas, this has serious public health implications.

This study is the first in Canada to recommend that pollutants from heavy everyday traffic are connected to dementia. Although it has been well documented that air pollutants can get into the circulation system and prompt inflammation, which is connected with cardiovascular diseases and perhaps different conditions, such as diabetes, study proposes that air pollutants can get into the brain by means of the blood stream and can lead to neurological issues.

As urban environments turn out to be all the more populated and more congested with vehicles on major roads, this study could be utilized to help advise municipal land use decisions and building designs to consider air pollution factors and the effect on public health.

Lead Pollution: The #1 Childhood Environmental Health Threat Globally

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Wed, 25 Jan 2017 17:10:00 +0000

Fact Sheet: What is the #1 Childhood Environmental Health Threat Globally? - The Pollution BlogThe Pollution Blog: "“

Lead Poisoning from improper automotive battery recycling activities is the number one childhood environmental health threat globally”.— Dr. Jack Caravanos, CUNY professor and research lead at Blacksmith Institute for a Pure Earth

While lead pollution can result from a number of activities, the improper recycling of used lead-acid batteries (ULABs) is the leading source. Lead exposure is estimated to account for 143, 000 deaths per year, or 0.6% of the global burden of disease, with the highest burden in developing regions. Children are most at risk. Read the story of Seynabou and the five children she lost

Here are some FACTS ABOUT LEAD:

There is no known safe level of lead exposure.

The CDC has adopted 5 µg/dL (micrograms /deciliter) as the point at which to trigger public health actions.

In the U.S., about 500,000 U.S. children are estimated to have a blood lead level of at least 5 µg/dL. Average blood lead level in the U.S. is 1.8 µg/dL. In some of the world’s worst polluted places, we have found levels as high as 234 µg/dL in children.

Lead has been identified as one of the top six toxic threats.

Lead exposure is entirely preventable.

Statistics:

Childhood lead exposure is estimated to contribute to 600,000 new cases globally of children with intellectual disabilities every year.

Lead exposure is estimated to account for 143, 000 deaths per year, or 0.6% of the global burden of disease, with the highest burden in developing regions.

In a review of 242 studies of known chemically contaminated sites, lead was the primary contaminant in 57 (25%) studies, representing 8,345 exposed children.

Health Effects:

Lead is a potent neurotoxin, causing lower intellectual capacity, neurological damage, and cardiovascular disease, amongst other problems.

Children are the most vulnerable. Lead can affect nearly every system in a young developing body, in particular the brain and nervous system, with devastating and sometimes permanent health consequences.

The presence of lead in children lowers I.Q. by an estimated 4-7 points for each increase of 10 μg/dL.

In adults, lead poisoning can lead to increased risk of high blood pressure and kidney damage. In pregnant women, lead poisoning can cause miscarriage and stillbirths.

Lead exposure often occurs with no obvious symptoms as lead accumulates in the body over time. Lead poisoning therefore frequently goes unrecognized.

Sources:

The improper recycling of used lead-acid batteries is arguably the #1 childhood environmental health threat globally.

Of the six million tons of lead that are used annually, approximately three quarters go into the production of lead-acid batteries. Of these batteries, 97% are eventually recycled to retrieve the lead.

The improper recycling of ULABs happens in every city in the developing world. These are small mom-and-pop operations. Batteries are often broken up by hand, often in backyards, and smelted in kitchens.

Lead pollution can also be a result of mining, smelting, manufacturing and other activities, including the continued use of leaded paint and leaded gasoline in some countries.

Examples of the Lead Problem:

In Senegal in 2009, a lead poisoning outbreak went undetected until 18 children died. The highest lead levels recorded in children between one and five years-old was 158 µg/dL.

In Nigeria, the high price of gold prompted a mini gold rush in 2010, and villagers took to mining the lead-rich ore. This resulted in the world’s worst outbreak of lead poisoning. Over 400 children were killed. Lead levels as high as 150µg/dL were recorded.

In Mexico, where many of the country’s 50,000 potters use toxic lead-based glazes, the average blood lead levels for children and their families in artisan communities is 26 to 40 µg/dL.

In Cinangka, Indonesia, a playground near the primary school was so toxic that parts of the field had lead levels that measured 123 times above the (WHO) standard.

In Vietnam, toxic craft villages have left a damaging legacy.

In Haina in the Dominican Republic, a hotspot of lead contamination because of improper battery recycling, we have seen blood lead levels as high as 234µg/dL.

In Kabwe, Zambia, we found children with severely high blood lead levels. In 2015, our cleanup work in Chowa, Kabwe, freed residents from dangerous lead exposure in their homes and yards for the first time in 100 years. Read more about our Kabwe cleanup"

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Health Implications Of Environmental Mercury Pollution

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 10:39:00 +0000

Mercury is ranked as one of the most toxic elements or substances in the world, coming just behind arsenic and lead as third. This environmental pollutant continues to be dumped into our waterways and soil, is being spilled into our atmosphere, and continually contaminates our food and water. Although mercury pollution was initially minimal, human activities have nearly tripled the amount of mercury in the environment and the atmospheric burden is increasing 1.5 percent per year. Environmental mercury, either through soil or water pollution, can enter the food chain through plant and livestock. Once in the food chain mercury can bioaccumulate causing harmful effects to human health.

Whether it exists in its elemental form, inorganic mercury or as organic mercury, the sources of environmental pollution of mercury are abundant. Current sources of human exposure include:

1. Elemental mercury: Sources of mercury pollution in this form include dental amalgam, thermometers, barometers, fossil fuel emissions, incandescent lights, batteries, ritualistic practices using mercury, and the incineration of medical waste. Toxic vapors in the environment from mercury vaporization or the burning of mercury containing materials can adversely affect human health when they enter the respiratory system and pass readily into the circulation. Due to its lipophilic nature, mercury vapor can accumulate in the kidney, liver, and especially the brain. It is estimated that the half-life of mercury in the brain can be as long as 20 year.

2. Organic mercury: Environmental pollution sources include exposure to fossil fuel emissions, the incineration of medical waste, dental amalgam, and various commercial products including skin creams, germicidal soaps, various medications, teething powders, analgesics, diaper treatments, vaccinations, thermometers, sphygmomanometer, barometers, incandescent lights, and batteries. Among the most dangerous mercury compound is dimethyl mercury. This environmental pollutant is toxic enough to cause death if only a few microliters is spilled on the skin, or even latex gloves. Mercury poisoning can result in death, mental retardation, dysarthria, blindness, neurological deficits, loss of hearing, developmental defects, and abnormal muscle tone.

Research studies show that toxic vapors formed from environmental pollution of mercury or the burning of mercury containing materials can enter th erespiratory system and pass readily into the circulation. Mercury accumulation in the heart is thought to contribute to cardiomyopathy. Studies show that mercury levels in the heart tissue of individuals who died from idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy were found to be on average 22 000 times higher than in individuals who died of other forms of heart disease Mercury poisoning may be responsible for chest pains, especially in individuals under age 45.

When this toxic pollutant is present in food, it is absorbed when ingested. This can cause various digestive disturbances as it can inhibit the production of some digestive enzymes. The health effects of mercury on the gastrointestinal system typically presents as abdominal pain, indigestion, inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers and bloody diarrhea. Mercury ingestion has also been associated with the destruction of intestinal flora which can increase the amount of undigested food products in the blood stream causing immune mediated reactions and reduced resistance to pathogenic infection.

Environmental pollution from mercury has serious human health implications because of its effect on the nervous system. The most devastating effect of mercury in the nervous system is its interference with the production of energy which can impair cellular detoxification processes causing the cell to either die or live in a state of chronic malnutrition. This toxic chemical can damage the blood-brain barrier which allows the penetration of the brain by other toxic metals and pollutants. The health effects of mercury poisoning in the central nervous system includes depression, paranoia, extreme irritability, hallucinations, an inability to concentrate, memory loss, tremors of the hands, head, lips, tongue, jaw and eyelids, weight loss, perpetually low body temperature, drowsiness, headaches, insomnia, and fatigue. Autism is a syndrome characterized by impairments in social relatedness, language and communication, a need for routine and sameness, abnormal movements, and sensory dysfunction. Mercury has been shown to cause behavioral dysfunctions similar to traits defining or associated with autism leading some to suggest that many cases of autism may be a form of mercury poisoning.

Mercury affects hormone activities in the body. The thyroid is one of the largest endocrine glands in the body which controls how quickly the body burns energy, makes proteins, and how sensitive the body should be to other hormones. The thyroid displays an affinity for accumulating mercury which in turn blocks thyroid hormone production by inhibiting or altering hormone action leading to the impairment of body temperature control, hypothyroidism, thyroid inflammation and depression. Also, the pancreas is affected by the toxic effects of mercury pollution in the body. Insulin, the molecule involved in diabetes, readily binds to mercury causing it to interfere with normal biological function and blood glucose levels.

Recent studies in Hong Kong have linked increased mercury pollution to infertility in both men and women. The human health effect of this in males includes low sperm count, and testicular weight. Evidence also links toxic mercury with erectile dysfunction. In females, environmental pollution from this toxic chemical has been shown to affect estrogen and progesterone levels leading to ovarian dysfunction, painful or irregular menstruation, premature menopause, and tipped uterus. Studies have shown the relationship between mercury pollution and menstrual disorders including abnormal bleeding, short, long, irregular cycles, and painful periods.

In relation to its effect on the reproductive system, mercury pollution has been associated with the fetotoxicity which may occur in form of miscarriage, spontaneous abortions, stillbirth, and low birth weights. Exposure to environmental pollution by mercury during pregnancy has been linked to neural tube defects and delayed growth in newborns. Mercury can cross the placenta where it can inhibit fetal brain development leading to cerebral palsy and psychomotor retardation in the latter stages of development.

Environmental Pollution Implicated in Parkinson's Disease And Nervous Disorders

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Sun, 22 Jan 2017 10:13:00 +0000

Neurotoxicity is as a result of the long term exposure to toxic pollutants, called neurotoxins, which badly affects the central nervous system, or sensory organs. Neurotoxins are chemicals with the ability to damage the nervous system. They do this by destroying the cells that transmit and process signals in the brain. As pollutants, neurotoxins are ever-present in the environment; in schools, homes, road an so on. They are the major sources of environmentalpollution in occupational settings. Production processes in factories are a major environmental pollution source of some of the most harmful neurotoxins. Clinical manifestations of neurotoxicity occur in multiple syndromes and effects, in relation to the nature, level and duration of the exposure. Below are some commonly use chemicals present in the environment that cause central nervous disorders. Their clinical manifestations are identified in this article as well as their relation with toxic exposures. Also precisions about occupational branches and main jobs are involved.

Organic Solvents

Organic solvents are a major source of environmental pollution. This is because it is very common in many sectors of the environment. Millions of workers are exposed this toxic pollutant. They include the printer, spray painter, industrial cleaner, paint or glue manufacturer. The workers in photographic electronic and plastic industries are also victims to this toxic environmental pollutant. Exposure to organic solvents is primarily through skin contact or inhaling fumes of the neurotoxin. Due to its lipophilic and hydrophilic properties, it is able to affect neuronal structures in the brain. The resulting neurotoxic symptoms may include nausea, dizziness, headache, loss of concentration. Long term environmental exposure, particularly in spray painters or microelectronics workers, leads to the development of “Chronic Solvent induced Encephalopathy”, a major nervous system disorder.

Pesticides

Pesticides such as insecticides, fungicides, rodenticides, fumigants and herbicides have been found to exhibits a vast array of chemically diverse structures. Environmental exposure to neurotoxic pesticides is mainly associated with agricultural work. However, other environmental sector workers with substantial risk of being exposed to this environmentally common pollutant include pesticide manufacturing employees, highway and railway workers, as well as greenhouse, forestry and nursery workers.

Research work has found that long term exposure to pesticides increases the risk of Parkinson’s disease by almost 70%. 5% of individuals exposed to pesticides might develop the disease as against 3% for the general population. The onset of pesticide-induced Parkinson's disease appears strongest for exposure to herbicides and insecticides, and after long duration of exposure. Toxicology data suggest that paraquat and rotenone may have neurotoxic actions that potentially play a role in the development of Parkinson’s disease. A recent study show that Parkinson disease was positively associated with group of pesticides that inhibit mitochondrial complex (including rotenone), and a group of pesticides that increase oxidative stress in the brain.

Lead

Un-mined lead in the earth’s crust is basically immobile and non-toxic. Once mined and integrated into manufactured products and spread throughout the environment, it is highly toxic. This environmental pollutant is widely used in the production of batteries, metal products (solder and pipes), ammunition and devices to shield X-rays. The neurotoxic effects of lead poisoning on the brain include delayed or reversed development, permanent learning disabilities,seizures, coma and death with severe toxicity.

Manganese

Manganese is an essential trace metal that is widely used in industry, more commonly used in the manufacture of steel. This places the workers in Manganese, steel and aluminum mining and production industries at risk. Workers in battery production and chemical industries are also at risk. Welders and alloy workers are especially exposed.

Environmental exposure to high levels or chronic low-level of manganese pollution can cause neurotoxicity; the clinical features included psychiatric symptoms. Mood disorders are often observed in workers exposed to manganese pollution. Reports also indicate hallucinations and psychosis, referred to as “manganese madness”. The report also suggests that past exposure to manganese may have lasting consequences on neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Excessive environmental manganese exposure may induce the development of a form of Parkinsonism known as Manganism. Psychiatric manifestations have been reported in cases of manganism. Similarities between the clinical manifestations of Parkinson disease and Manganism may be seen: widespread rigidity, masked faces, speech disturbances and postural instability.

Neurological occupational diseases have presumably multifactorial etiology, and the environmental health risk after exposure depends on age, sex, genetic factors, socioeconomic and nutritional status, and environmental factors. Even though organic solvents, metals and pesticides have been implicated in neurotoxicity, they represent only a small fraction of the thousands of chemicals in current use that yet to be documented for their neurotoxic effects on humans. Data on environmental exposure of neurotoxins are still insufficient and effects of low-level environmental exposure are difficult to establish, but numerous studies continue to indicate a link between neurotoxin pollution and the onset or progression of central nervous disorders.

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Water Pollution: Drinking Polluted Water Also Likely To Cause Cervical Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Sat, 21 Jan 2017 11:38:00 +0000

It is no longer news that one of the leading causes of premature death, to this day, is cancer. And sadly enough, there is still no cure this threat to human health. Furthermore, while there are many environmental factors that are suspected to cause cancer, there are no absolute answer as to what actually causes cancer. However, what is certain is how cancer develops in the body. The human body is made up of numerous amounts of cells that work every second to ensure optimum efficiency and health. When a change (external or internal) in the activities of these cells, it could damage one of the cell's DNA. This is how cancerous cells are formed and they begin to spread through the body.

Scientific research has stated that one of the best ways to avoid cancer is to limit the amount of environmental toxins that enter into the body. One important area where these pollutants enter the body that we often neglect is the water pollution. Some of the sources of environmental pollution that can pollute the water we drink are industrial wastes, metals, and chlorine by-products. For women, it is possible that a long term exposure to environmental pollutants in drinking water can potentially lead to more gender specific problemssuch as breast or cervical cancer.

Although it is not entirely known what causes cervical cancer, the pollutants found in drinking water have been shown to have an effect on the DNA of reproducing cells. What is also know is that purified drinking water has been seen to have a cleansing effect on cancer patients due to it ability to flush many toxins out of the body. While there is still no cure for cancer, drinking lots of purified water is a good practice to protect the body against any illness including cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer starts at the lower part of the womb that opens at the top of the vagina. This cancer is very slow to progress and may take years for the cancer to be fully evident. If it is detected in the precancerous state by a pap smear, it is highly treatable. However, it can be extremely hard to detect if routine check-ups are put off, as there will be no obvious symptoms of the precancerous condition until it has fully spread.

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Health Effects Of Environmental Exposure To Aluminum Pollution

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Fri, 20 Jan 2017 14:12:00 +0000

Aluminum has been for quite some time known to be neurotoxic, with mounting proof that its long term environmental exposure is a linked to numerous neurological diseases, including dementia, a mental imbalance, and Parkinson's disease. Nonetheless, research validation is hard to establish due to the absence of longitudinal studies, as well as push back from industries that use aluminum in their products. Regardless of the deficiency of conclusive reviews, mounting scientific proof practically rules out the uncertainty of its toxicity. A valid example is scientific investigation from Keele University in the UK which unequivocally indicates large amounts of aluminum in the brain of an individual exposed to aluminum at work, who later died from Alzheimer's disease. While aluminum exposure has been involved in Alzheimer's and various other neurological diseases, this case happens to be "the main direct connection" between Alzheimer's disease and elevated brain aluminum following occupational exposure.

Exposure to aluminum is lamentably an environmental risk for the individuals who work in industries like mining, factory work, welding, and agriculture. Also that you ingest aluminum vapors each time your nose gets tobacco smoke drifting by. Breathing in aluminum dust or vapors sends this pollutant straight into the lungs in a high concentrated form, where they go into the circulation system and are dispersed all through the body, including the bones and brain. Aluminum powder has been known to bring about pulmonary fibrosis, and aluminum factory worker are prone to asthma. Investigations into the health impacts of aluminum vapors have been troubling, indicating elevated amounts of neurotoxicity.

Environmental Occurrence of Aluminum Pollution

In spite of its natural occurrence in soil, water, and air, we are adding to the heap with the mining and handling of aluminum ore, manufacturing of aluminum products, and the operation of coal-powered plants and incinerators. Aluminum can't be annihilated in environment—it just changes its form by connecting or isolating from different particles. Rain promotes pollution by washing aluminum particles out of the air and into our water supply, where they have a tendency to accumulate. Those who live in industrial areas tend to have a higher than average environmental exposure. As indicated by CDC, the average adult in the US absorbs around 7 to 9 mg of aluminum for each day in food and a lesser sum from air and water. Just around one percent of the aluminum ingested orally gets assimilated into the body—the rest is moved out by your stomach related tract, if it's working well.

When tried in a lab, aluminum pollution has been found in an endless number of items available, from food and beverages to pharmaceuticals, which implicates the manufacturing procedures itself is an important part of the environmental pollution problem. Aluminum is found in a stunning number of food and customer items, including:

1. Aluminum items, including foils, cans, juice pockets, tins, and water bottles.

2. Foods, for example, baking powder, self rising flour, salt, infant formula, espresso flavors, baked goods and processed foods

3. Cosmetics and individual care items, for example, antiperspirants, deodorants (counting salt crystals, made of alum), salves, sunscreens, and shampoos

4. Drugs, for example, antacids, analgesics, anti-diarrheals, and others; added substances, for example, magnesium stearate

5. Vaccines—Hepatitis A and B, Hib, DTP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), pneumococcal vaccine, Gardasil (HPV), and others

Effects of Aluminum Pollution

Aluminum is to the central system as tobacco smoke is to the lungs. Researchers are certain that dangerous metals harm brain tissue and prompt to degenerative disease by delivering oxidative anxiety—and aluminum is one of the most noticeably guilty parties. With Alzheimer's rates soaring, today's numerous roads of aluminum introduction are of incredible concern. Similarly as with particles in nature, once aluminum is in the tissues, the body has a troublesome time discharging it. This pollutant feeds definitely no natural need, so the less of it ingested the better. Once in the body, it goes around effectively and unhampered to the iron transport framework. It crosses boundaries that regularly keep different sorts of poisons out, for example, the blood-brain barrier. After some time, aluminum can accumulate in the brain and do genuine harm to neurological wellbeing—with little respect to your age. Aluminum pollution might do as much harm to our kids as to our seniors.

When you survey the signs and side effects of aluminum pollution, they are shockingly like the manifestations of extreme autism, ADHD, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other neurological diseases. Vaccine adjuvants can bring about genuine chronic inflammation. Aluminum focuses on the cerebellum and autonomic nervous system—the part in charge of natural processes over which we have no cognizant control (breathing, circulatory strain, adjust, coordination, and so on.). When you take a look at the MSDS sheet for aluminum, you will see indications strikingly like those in like common neurological diseases, including memory problems, speech impairments and aphasia, dementia, depression, muscle weakness, motor disturbances, and other neurological difficulties. The list goes on and on.

Aluminum Hinders Detoxification

Expelling mercury from vaccines and replacing it with aluminum might expand the issues from BOTH pollutants in the body. The purpose behind this is on the grounds that aluminum hinders the body's capacity to discharge mercury by blocking the glutathione production. Glutathione is the most important intracellular detoxifier, required for reversing oxidative stress. In this way, if the aluminum load is high, the body will possibly turn out to be more toxic from the mercury from, say, influenza shots and fish since you are presently on "aluminum over-burden" and your detoxification framework no longer capacities well.

The body needs sulfur to produce glutathione, making sulfur a critical dietary supplement with regards to metal detoxification, which can be streamlined through dietary sources. Onions and garlic are great on the off chance that they are developed in sulfur rich soils, however most soils are lamentably sulfur inadequate. Along these lines, animal-based proteins appear to be one of your best wagers. Whey protein is especially high in cysteine, one of the two sulfur-bearing amino acids that are immediate forerunners to glutathione.

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Environmental Pollutant in Plastic Likely To Cause Prostate Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Thu, 19 Jan 2017 14:45:00 +0000

The prostate gland, which develops in human males when they are fetuses, is to a great degree sensitive to estrogen. Thus, scientists have long ago speculated that prostate cancer could increase in men as a result of their interactions with estrogen-like chemicals in the womb. Unlike other cancer-causing chemicals that can bring about significant harm to DNA, Bisphenol-A or BPAappears to exact unobtrusive changes that are passed from one generation ontothe next.

“The research focus today is regardless of whether or not; environmental pollutants will incite heritable changes in genetic functions in humans. In other words, is there something that happens to alter genes without actually altering the genetic code?” asked Sokol, a scientist who studies the effects of chemicals on sperm. This new study has looked into in the part that environmental pollution and pollutants may play in altering the genetic qualities of exposed individuals. This study has also being regarded by the American Plastics Council as "captivating exploration and a great bit of research" that ought to be concentrated further. But the genuine question here is what does this mean for human health?, in light of the fact that there are excessively numerous impediments in the review for it to apply to humans.

The study stated that animals developed precancerous lesions and genetic changes when presented with low concentrations of the substance similar to the amount found in human blood and fetuses. Recently, evidence has been building that BPA causes changes in the hormones and reproductive tracts of male and female animals. Lower sperm counts; decreased testosterone and enlarged prostates were reported in male animals, and early puberty and disrupted hormonal cycles in female animals.

Of more than 100 research studies that inspected low concentrations of BPA, 94 financed by government organizations discovered destructive impacts in lab animals. Polycarbonate, which cannot be manufactured without BPA, is a clear and shatter-free plastic that has been seen to initiate prostate cancer in plastic container. In addition to beverage bottles, utensils and food packaging, it is used in automobiles, medical equipment and compact discs. Little concentrations of this environmental pollutant can leach from plastic containers, particularly when warmed, cleaned with brutal cleansers or presented to acidic drinks or beverages. It also is used in children's dental sealants and as a resin lining metal food cans.

See more research studies on BPA here.

Water Pollution Identifed As One Of Likely Causes Ovarian Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Wed, 18 Jan 2017 09:46:00 +0000

Ovarian cancer is a kind of cancer that can start in either or both of the ovaries. The cancerous cells duplicate rapidly and shape a tumor on the outside of the ovaries, inside the egg-producing cells, or inside hormone-creating cells. This kind of cancer is hard to distinguish until the cancer has begun spreading into the belly region. Despite the fact that medications are accessible, survival rates is genuinely low particularly if the cancer was analyzed late.This unsettling reality does not need to be the standard. Ladies ought to instruct themselves on the dangers, the side effects, and how to avert or analyze the cancer early. Early location is vital for a successful treatment and conceivable cure.

Symptoms of ovarian cancer are fundamentally the same as other basic conditions and once in a while go unnoticed. The fundamental distinction is that manifestations of ovarian cancer will be steady and will compound. Ladies must not disregard a determined inconvenience or troubling agony. Legitimate finding of the inconvenience is imperative to keeping up one's well-being. A part of the symptoms could include swell or bloating of the stomach range, stomach torment or uneasiness, sudden changes in inside or bladder propensities, absence of vitality, or lower back agony. These manifestations are frequently neglected as innocuous heartburn, obstruction, or another not really hazardous medical problem. In the event that a lady abruptly sees manifestations that stress her then she ought to call the specialist quickly for an arrangement.

Prior to any side effects emerge, one ought to know about the hazard elements connected with ovarian cancer. There are a few hazard figures that expansion the likelihood of an ovarian cancer determination which incorporate a family history of ovarian cancer, individual history of cancer in the bosom, uterus, or colon, or more established ladies who have never been pregnant. A few reviews have likewise demonstrated that specific hormone treatments identified with menopause can expand the danger of ovarian cancer. These hazard variables don't ensure a cancer analysis, however the hazard is expanded in patients with these specific elements.

There are additionally contaminants in the environment that expansion the likelihood of cancer. One known contaminant is powder; a substance frequently utilized as a part of child powder, ladylike items, and even makeup and condoms. Bath powder has been considered and associated to expand the hazard with ovarian cancer by more than half. Different contaminants as often as possible found in numerous shopper items are butylparaben, red 30 lake, dibutyl pthalate, ethlyparaben, isobutylparaben, methylparaben, and propylparaben.

Another hazard that builds the danger of ovarian cancer is drinking polluted water. One sort of defilement would be nitrates that enter the water through the dirt in the ground. Nitrates are usually connected with the expanded utilization of business manures, creature waste, and human waste. This contamination is a speculated cancer-causing agent yet it is not by any means the only perilous component found in drinking water. Sadly there are many man-made and common water contaminants which are either poisonous or radioactive and can bring about cancer.

Environmental scientists have found an association between contaminated drinking water and ovarian cancer. Minimizing the measure of sullying in drinking water is an absolute necessity, however first individuals should know about what else is in the water they are drinking and how to secure themselves and their family. A quality water decontamination framework can evacuate up to 99% of these destructive contaminants which can bring about sickness and cancer. Instruction is the way to a sound way of life

Malnutrition Linked To Air Pollution and Ozone Depletion

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 10:14:00 +0000

The world will require 50 percent more nourishment by 2050 because of both an expanding populace and a move toward a more Westernized eating routine in creating nations. In any case, as our requirement for nourishment rises, our capacity to deliver that sustenance might be brought down by atmosphere and air quality changes, concurring a to a review simply distributed in Nature Climate Change. Environmental scientists from MIT and Colorado State University found that if everything else remains as it is today, by 2050 global warming may lessen world harvest yields by around 10 percent. Be that as it may, world harvest yields confront a greater number of difficulties than simply rising temperatures. Ozone pollution likewise harms crops, while being harder to evaluate. A few products are harmed most by outrageous temperature swings, others more by ozone. "Ozone pollution can likewise be dubious to recognize since its harm can look like other plant diseases, creating bits on leaves and staining," Colette Heald, author of the study and associate professor of civil and environmental engineering (CEE) at MIT, said in a public statement.

While heat and ozone can every harm plants all alone, the two variables additionally communicate. For instance, hotter temperatures increase ozone pollution. The examination group ascertained that 46 percent of harm to soybean crops on exceptionally hot days that had already been credited to warmth is really created by ozone. These environmental scientists utilized atmospheric models to guide every day temperature variations region by region, comparing the universe of 2000 and the world as it is anticipated to be in 2050. "We built up a measurable model of harvest yields in view of the authentic atmosphere and product information. We utilized national product information from 1960-2000. So successfully our model depends on the watched connections". Heald clarifies.

Under a few situations, these scientists found that pollution-control measures could make a noteworthy gouge in expected product decreases. For instance, while global food production was anticipated to fall by 15 percent under one situation, ozone reduction in an alternate situation could diminish that drop to 9 percent. The review took a gander at four noteworthy yields: soybeans, rice, maize, and wheat, which make up a large portion of the calories people expend around the world. Given its significant impact on numerous vital harvests, air pollution will add to malnutrition indeveloping countries. Utilizing the pessimistic air-quality projection, rates of malnourishment in developing nations may increase from the present 18 percent to 27 percent by 2050.

Agricultural production is exceptionally touchy to ozonepollution that it is so essential to consider the agricultural implications of air-quality directions. Ozone is something that we comprehend the reasons for, and the means that should be taken to enhance air quality. The focus of the study was looking at the climate and ozone effects on crop yields, both because this was an important contrast to draw, and because these effects are better quantified. The net effect of CO2 on food is less clear-CO2 fertilizes plants and so we could expect elevated yields under higher CO2, but recent work has shown that plants grown under these high CO2 conditions are less nutritious, so one may need to grow more food to meet nutrition demands.

Air And Water Pollution: Impact Of Animal Farming on The Environment

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 10:38:00 +0000

Environmental impact of animal production: "Each one of us has an impact on the environment and the world in which we live. Growing food and raising animals also uses resources from the earth. Humans impact the environment through deforestation, agricultural and livestock activities, urbanization and burning fossil fuels.

Each and every living creature produces greenhouse gases (GHG). Greenhouse gases are gases in the earth’s atmosphere and can be produced in nature and through human industry. An increased amount of GHG generates high temperatures on earth. The most abundant GHG are water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. The amount of GHG that agriculture and farming produces around the world is different. This is because each livestock production system is different in the way it uses resources. Agricultural systems are often categorized into two types of systems: extensive farming and intensive farming.

Extensive farming is a type of agriculture that is mainly a pasture-based and land-based system. In beef cattle production, for example, cattle in an extensive system would graze in a pasture. Intensive systems have more concentrated operations and are often more mechanized. A feedlot is an example of an intensive system for beef cattle production. Each of these systems occurs all around the world and each has an environmental impact. The challenge for global livestock production is to improve environmental sustainability within each region rather than prescribing a one-size-fits-all global system. Currently in the United States, agriculture accounts for seven percent of the total GHG emitted.

Carbon dioxide from livestock production is a result of fuel use from equipment and changes in the carbon content of soil, such as, crops, deforestation and direct land use by animals. Livestock production is the largest methane source emitter in the world and the third largest in the United States. Most of this methane is a result of manure storage and enteric fermentation, which is methane produced in the digestive tract of an animal. Also, the source of nitrous oxide in livestock production is the application of manure and artificial fertilizers on fields and from ammonia losses during and after the growing season.

Farmers are now using a process called Precision Feed Management which allows the farmer to feed his animals a more precise amount of nutrients so there is greater feed use and less waste in the form of uneaten food and animal manure. When animals are better able to use the food they eat, fewer nutrients are released into the environment.

How do animals contribute to water pollution?
Water is a scarce and valuable resource essential to human and animal life. The consumption of animal products contributes to more than one-quarter of the water footprint of humanity. Water for livestock production is used for drinking, irrigation to grow crops/ pasture and for different animal services such as cleaning. The water needed to produce feed is the major factor behind the water footprint of animal products.

Animals can negatively affect water quality by having free access to water sources where they are able to deposit waste and cause the water to become cloudy from stirring up mud. Waste from animals can be dangerous because it carries harmful bacteria which people may drink. Globally, 3.2 percent of human deaths are caused by unsafe water. This problem is especially prevalent in developing countries. However, only a small portion of these deaths are related to bacteria from livestock.

Water contamination can occur in many different ways. In extensive systems, livestock often have access to bodies of water where they are able to deposit waste. This waste travels downstream and has direct contact with humans. In intensive production systems, bacteria can enter water sources during heavy rainfalls that might result in an overflow of the manure catchment basin or from manure that has been put on fields as fertilizer. The presence of bacteria in water can also result from urban wastewater, sewage, septic tank discharge and waste from wildlife."

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Air Pollution, Environmental Pollutants And Your Child's Health

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Sun, 15 Jan 2017 10:09:00 +0000

Children and Air Pollution |: Children breathe more air per pound of body weight, so their exposure to air pollution is much greater than adults. Children’s organs, including their lungs, develop until they reach their late teens, usually around the age of 18. Studies show that developing organs are sensitive to the toxic effects of air pollutants and environmental toxins, and that children absorb pollutants more readily than adults and retain them in the body for longer periods of time.* According to the World Resources Institute, “Because they breathe at a higher rate than adults, children are exposed to greater levels of pollution relative to their smaller body weight and are generally more sensitive to their effects on a pound-for-pound basis.”

In 2005, the World Health Organization published a review of studies conducted around the world in recent decades, to better understand the effects of air pollution on the health of children. The following are some of the important findings of this review:

1. The intrauterine, perinatal and early childhood periods are vulnerable times when the lungs are especially susceptible to injury by air pollutants. Exposure during these periods reduces the maximal functional capacity achieved in adult life and can lead to enhanced susceptibility during adulthood to infection due to the effects of pollutants such as tobacco.

2. Children with underlying chronic lung diseases, particularly asthma and cystic fibrosis, are especially vulnerable and are at greater risk of adverse effects from pollution than healthy children.

3. There is now substantial evidence on the adverse effects of air pollution on different pregnancy outcomes and infant health. The evidence shows that air pollution, (with concentrations typical of many European cities), increases the risk of death from respiratory causes in the post-neonatal period.

4. The evidence also shows a relationship between exposure to ambient air pollutants and adverse effects on the development of lung function. Reversible lung function deficits, chronically reduced lung growth rates and lower lung function levels are associated with exposure to air pollution. This evidence shows clearer relationships for particulate matter and traffic-related air pollution (indicated by nitrogen dioxide) than for other pollutants.

5. Based on current knowledge, air pollutants seem to interact with other environmental factors, such as allergens, viruses and diet, that influence the overall impact of air pollutants on children’s health.

The report concludes that there is a causal relationship between exposure to air pollutants and aggravation of asthma. The evidence is also sufficient to assume a causal link between exposure to particulate matter and increased prevalence and incidence of cough and bronchitis.

Environmental contaminants such as certain heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants show significant adverse effects on the development of the nervous system and behavior in children. Also, there is sufficient evidence of a causal relationship between exposure to lead and neurobehavioral deficits in children, in terms of cognitive impairment."

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Contraceptives: The Hidden Environmental Pollutants In Water Pollution

noreply@blogger.com (Emmanuel Odiachi) — Fri, 13 Jan 2017 09:17:00 +0000

Hormonal Contraception: The Hidden Environmental Pollutant - Symptopro - SymptoPro Blog: "There are many options for oral contraception currently out on the market and most are a combination of synthetic estrogen and progestin, with only a few progestin-only pills available for use. The woman’s body only uses a small portion of the hormone and the majority is excreted, where it goes to a waste treatment facility to undergo an ineffective process that only removes a portion of the hormones from sewage. The rest is left to be released out into the environment. Much research has been done on the effect of estrogen on the environment and the main culprit is ethynyl-estradiol, or EE2. Other hormones may be negatively affecting the environment as well; however, scientific research has focused on EE2. So, where can this be found? Try the patches, birth control pill, rings, and various injectables. In other words, the main culprit for the hormonal changes we’re seeing in the environment is one of the most highly used compounds in hormonal birth control.

While hormonal birth control does contribute to pollution in the environment, it isn’t the main culprit. Estrogenic compounds are part of a larger category called endocrine-disruptors. These can negatively impact the hormonal mechanism in humans and animals. These endocrine-disruptors are responsible for the increasing feminization in animals, leading to males having female characteristics. One study found that rainbow trout that had been exposed to EE2 at a dose of 10 parts per billion, which is the same dose that is in contaminated rivers and streams, had a nearly 25-fold increase in the number and frequency of sperm cells containing an abnormal number of chromosomes. This is a big enough change that it decreases egg fertilization, embryo development, and offspring development, much less the outward signs of the fish themselves, who are exhibiting both male and female sex traits. Studies looking into the long-term effects on humans have yet to be done.

Hormonal birth control is only one way that estrogens are polluting our water supplies. Other sources include plastics (from BPA and other similar chemicals), various consumer products, agricultural sources via crop fertilizer that contains estrogens, and livestock, who are given synthetic and natural estrogens to increase milk production. Other pharmaceuticals also contain endocrine-disruptors and, much like hormonal contraception, can end up in our water system.

We’re on the brink of an ecological health crisis that is compounded by both synthetic and natural estrogens. Although birth control pills are not the main or major source of estrogens in water, they do play a part. Our personal choices impact the environment – some for the good and others dangerously. Thinking of all the plastics in our landfills, pharmaceuticals available and used, and how the total sum impacts the environment, each person does make an impact on the world around them. It’s important to be mindful of how we each decide to live and the consequences of those decisions. Choosing to know your body and be in tune with the natural rhythms is one way to walk more gently on the earth and be kind to your body. "

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